


Pinned and Wriggling

by 27dragons



Series: The Love Song of J. Buchanan Barnes [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BDSM, Dom Steve Rogers, Dom/sub, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Spanking, Sub Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 07:09:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3520049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/27dragons/pseuds/27dragons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I reacted badly," Steve admitted as the climbed the steps to their apartment. "I'm sorry for that."</p>
<p>Bucky looked at Steve for a few steps, eyes narrow and measuring, as if he wasn't sure whether to believe Steve's remorse. "Yeah," he finally said. "Okay." He chewed on his lip and slowed somewhat as they rounded the landing, and said, quietly, "I was just playin'. Like, like we useta? Go out with a couple'a gals and I'd flirt with 'em just to work you up, 'member? Get you all hot an' bothered and jealous until you were 'bout ready t'take your belt to me right there in the dance hall." Bucky shivered in what Steve had to assume was remembered reaction.</p>
<p>"I remember," Steve said. "But it wasn't all play for me, even then, and a lot of stuff's happened to both of us since then. I don't want to ever hit you or hurt you out of anger or jealousy again, no matter how mad I get."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pinned and Wriggling

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [压制和挣扎](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6693847) by [hamLock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamLock/pseuds/hamLock)



The movie was terrible, but that was all right, because no one was really watching it anyway. Movie night with the Avengers had very little to do with movies, and everything to do with noise and chaos and, more often than Steve would like to admit, food-related competitions. (Tonight there had been egg-roll swordfighting. Steve hoped Tony tipped the cleaning staff very well.)

Pepper was the only one not currently engaged in arguing about what tactics the hapless teens on the screen _should_ have employed to aid their survival of whatever the horror-movie-monster du jour was. But she had only just returned from a three-week-long trip to Singapore -- she had accompanied the takeout up on the elevator, in fact -- and so Steve supposed she could be forgiven for wanting to just snuggle against Tony on the couch and relax.

She looked happy and comfortable, her stockinged feet tucked between Tony's calves, her head on his shoulder, and a glass of wine in the hand that was not entwined with his, smiling with amusement at the ranting and arguing. Still, there were dark circles under her eyes.

"If I'd known you were coming back today," Steve told her softly, under cover of Clint and Sam arguing whether an axe or a chainsaw was the ideal weapon for the situation, "I'd have suggested postponing the movie so you could have some peace and quiet and get to bed early."

Pepper smiled warmly at Steve. "Oh, no," she said, "I'd hoped there would be some entertainment. I'll need to stay up all night if I don't want to be jetlagged for weeks, so the distraction is good."

Tony turned away from his discussion with Natasha about how best to camouflage the attic hiding spot. "I'll give you a distraction," he promised Pepper, leering playfully.

Pepper leaned up to kiss Tony briefly, then sat up and handed him her glass. "Distract me with a fresh glass of wine," she chided fondly.

Tony rolled to his feet and snapped out the most terrible salute Steve had ever been privileged to witness. "As you command, O Princess of My Heart and Loins!"

"Tony," Pepper said, helplessly laughing, "just _go_." Tony grinned and winked and headed for the kitchen, and as he stepped past, Pepper leaned forward to smack his ass, hard enough that the crack reverberated through the room.

All conversation stopped, and all eyes turned to them.

"Oh my god!" Pepper blushed furiously -- Steve didn't think he'd ever seen her blush before -- and started giggling like a teenager.

"Oh, you're at that stage where you're so tired your filters are gone," Natasha observed knowingly.

Tony was still staring at Pepper, his free hand rubbing at his backside. "I should send you to Singapore more often," he finally said, grinning. "We're going to have a talk about that later, Miss Potts."

"I sent _myself_ to Singapore," Pepper said. "Wine, Tony. Go get my wine." Despite the put-upon tone, she was still giggling intermittently as she watched Tony walk away, and Steve thought her blush wasn't _entirely_ embarrassment. His own neck was burning.

On the screen, the second-to-last teen started screaming, and everyone went back to watching the show, more or less. Steve glanced at Bucky, on his other side, to see how he'd taken the exchange.

Bucky grinned at him and waggled his eyebrows, mock-invitingly.

Steve rolled his eyes and snorted, then looked back the movie.

Bucky leaned closer, not quite pressing his left arm into Steve's right. "Think you could do better?" he drawled.

Steve kept his eyes fixed on the screen. "Oh, sure," he said lightly, deliberately misunderstanding. "Splitting the group up in the first place was a big mistake."

Bucky pouted, and Steve pretended not to notice. He was fairly certain that the others knew he and Bucky were together, and he was fine with that. But he didn't really want them knowing any more than necessary about the details. He had thought Bucky agreed with that.

Bucky subsided and remained quiet until the credits started to roll, then rolled to his feet and stretched, letting Steve get a good look at the strip of skin that was revealed when his shirt rode up. Steve looked, obligingly, and then smiled up at Bucky when he relaxed again. Bucky's return smile was a little off, somehow.

Steve didn't have time to figure it out, though. Bucky, picking up several empty bottles and snack bowls from the table, spilled the remains of a drink right on Steve's lap. Steve yelped and grabbed for a napkin. Bucky did the same. "Shit, Steve, sorry," he said.

Bucky blotted his napkin up Steve's thigh until it was well out of the zone of the spill, and well on its way toward Steve's crotch. "Bucky," Steve muttered. This was no time for flirting, especially with the lights back on and everyone else getting up and moving around and looking at them.

Bucky gave Steve a long look through his eyelashes, then finished cleaning up the spill in silence. He re-collected the bottles and bowls and turned toward the kitchen, then paused and looked at Steve over his shoulder.

"Sure you don't want to take a crack at Pepper's title, there?" he offered, winking.

Steve's neck went hot again. "Stop it," he said. "You're embarrassing her."

"No, it's fine," Pepper said, and Steve tried not to feel betrayed. "The Avengers are practically family. Now, if it was the Board of Directors--"

"I wouldn't mind an excuse to spank some of them," Tony grumbled. "But not in the fun way."

"See?" Bucky taunted, and stuck out his hip. "Go on, give it a shot."

" _No_ , dammit!" Steve snapped.

Bucky's lips pressed into a thin line, and then he shrugged. "Geez, didn't know you were so worried about not being able to match Pepper's arm, there, buddy." He gave Pepper his most charming smile. "No offense meant, of course."

Pepper giggled and wriggled a little closer to Tony's side. "None taken."

"Buck," Steve sighed, but Bucky waved him off.

"No worries, Steve-o," he singsonged, and turned toward the kitchen. He stopped again, though, on the edge of the room, and gave Clint a slow smile. "How 'bout you? I've felt the draw on that bow of yours; I bet you've got a good swinging arm."

Steve sat up and stared in disbelief.

Clint raised an eyebrow, then smirked and took the last swig from his beer, letting his throat show as he swallowed. "Could be. Good eye for a firm landing zone, too."

Bucky swayed a little closer to Clint's perch, so slightly Steve wondered if it was unconscious. "Well, if you need to test the shocks..." Bucky drawled.

Steve's heart was pounding, and he didn't even know why.

Clint opened his mouth to answer, but then a bottle cap popped him right between the eyes. "Ow!"

"Knock it off, Clint," Natasha said, low and serious.

Clint glared at her, then looked around the room as if startled to realize the whole team was still present. "Oh. Uh. Right." Rubbing at the red spot on the bridge of his nose, he slid off the back of his chair and paced out of the room without explanation, apology, or farewell. Steve wondered if it was oversensitive to note that Clint had avoided looking in Steve's direction as he'd left.

Bucky scowled -- not at Natasha, but at Steve -- and slouched into the kitchen like a sulky teenager. Steve watched him go, dumbfounded. What the hell was happening?

"Steve, before you boys head home, can I have a word?" Natasha's face was unreadable.

Steve sighed and followed her out of the room. "Nat, you don't--"

"You know what he's doing, right?"

"He's being an ass."

Natasha gave Steve an unimpressed look. "He's trying to tell you what he wants. You need to pay attention."

"I know," Steve groaned. "I _know_ he-- But right in front of everyone? What would they all think?"

"I don't know, Steve," she said, letting him hear her frustration, "what did you think when Pepper popped Tony?"

The heat on Steve's neck climbed up to his ears. "I try not to think about other people's sex lives," he mumbled. "Besides, I don't think she could really hurt Tony."

Natasha glared at him, and Steve lifted his hands placatingly. "You know what I mean, Nat. Pepper's learned some self-defense, but she's not really a fighter. Tony's stronger _and_ he's had the benefit of your training. He could defend himself from her if he thought he had to. Bucky and I are a lot more evenly matched. I could do a lot of damage, just by accident."

She leaned against the wall next to him. "Do you really think you might injure him with a smack on the ass?"

"I know it _hurts_ ," Steve protested. "Hydra hurt him. They hurt him a lot. How am I supposed to do that to him?" He had swatted Bucky a few times before, in fact, but never _hard_ , not nearly as hard as Bucky had been challenging him to do tonight. The sound it had made when Pepper smacked Tony had suggested rather more than a playful sting.

Natasha poked him in the chest. It always startled Steve to re-learn just how hard she could poke and how pointy her finger was. He wondered if she had taught Dr. Tranh how to poke like that. "If pain is a hard limit for you," Natasha said, "then you need to tell him that."

"It's not," he said. "It's not... off the table. But I didn't figure he'd want it so soon!" Steve scrubbed a hand over his face, not quite able to meet her eyes. "I thought I had a little more time to... to come to grips with him wanting to be... punished."

"Oh," she said, as if she'd suddenly found the missing piece to a puzzle. "Steve, I don't think it's punishment he's after."

Steve made an impatient gesture back toward the movie room: _Did you even see that?_

Natasha shook her head. "He didn't _start out_ trying to get into trouble, though. He started out asking pretty clearly--"

"For me to hit him!"

"But as play, not as punishment," Natasha pointed out. She captured Steve's chin and angled his face to make him look at her. "He wants the sensation, not the anger. That nonsense with the spill and with Clint means that he's willing to accept some anger if it will get him the pain. But there's a difference between pain and punishment."

Steve grimaced. He _knew_ that. Bucky loved being marked, blue fingertip bruises or red teeth marks or purple suck-marks. "But right here in front of everyone?" he argued.

Natasha's expression softened. "Yeah, that one's on him," she said. "None of us would have minded, but we all know you're not that comfortable with even _vanilla_ PDA; teasing you with even mild kink wasn't very considerate."

Steve felt something in his stomach unclench. "Thanks," he sighed. "I just-- I don't know what to do now."

"Same thing you do every time you have a misunderstanding," she said with amused sympathy. "You talk to him."

Steve grunted. He hadn't really expected an easier answer.

"If it makes you feel better," she said, "you're almost certainly not walking into a trigger. I am entirely positive that Hydra was not putting him over someone's knee when he was being a problem." She patted his arm. "Take a minute or two and pull yourself together," she suggested.

"Yeah," Steve sighed. He leaned against the wall, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling. "Tell 'em I'll be back in a couple."

"Sure thing," Natasha agreed, and was gone.

Steve slid down the wall to sit on the floor, trying to catch his breath. Trying to think.

It didn't work very well. His thoughts were still muddled, embarrassment and worry and irritation and love -- and yes, lust -- all tangled up together. Finally, he got up and went back out to the common room.

Everything was cleaned up, and most of the Avengers had drifted off, presumably to their own quarters. Bucky was waiting for him, his jacket already on, his good arm leaning on the counter as he talked quietly with Bruce, the only other person still present.

But when Steve came back into the room, Bruce said his good nights, clapped Bucky on the shoulder, and left.

Bucky straightened and glanced at Steve uncertainly, then dropped his eyes. Steve wondered why. Was he just tired? Was he angry or upset at Steve for not picking up his hints? This wasn't the place to ask, though, Steve thought. "Ready to head home?"

Bucky nodded. "Yeah." It came out subdued, not tight or cold.

That was something, at least, Steve thought as he led the way out. He cast about for a neutral topic. "What were you and Bruce talking about?"

Bucky shrugged. "Books." He didn't seem inclined to elaborate, and Steve let it go.

It wasn't until they were on the street that Bucky spoke again, finally. "I'm. I'm sorry."

Intelligently, Steve managed, "What?"

Bucky shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "Tasha said I... was not being fair. That if I pushed, if I made you mad enough to hit me, then that would hurt you."

Steve was going to end up owing Natasha a million favors, and he didn't even mind. "She's right. I'd hate it if I let myself do that to you."

Bucky nodded, his mouth twisting. "And she said it was really a dick move to push you about it in front of everyone else, and she's right about that, too, and I'm sorry." He was looking at Steve without quite turning his head, uncertainly, as if he actually thought Steve might not forgive him.

Steve wormed his hand into Bucky's jacket pocket to lace their fingers together, and Bucky finally looked up, surprised but smiling. Steve smiled back and squeezed Bucky's hand, wordless acceptance of the apology.

He'd have to make his own, too, but he was still working out exactly what to say, and how to say it.

Bucky didn't seem to be holding a grudge, though. He matched Steve's stride and laid his head against Steve's shoulder as they walked.

"I reacted badly," Steve admitted as the climbed the steps to their apartment. "I'm sorry for that."

Bucky looked at Steve for a few steps, eyes narrow and measuring, as if he wasn't sure whether to believe Steve's remorse. "Yeah," he finally said. "Okay." He chewed on his lip and slowed somewhat as they rounded the landing, and said, quietly, "I was just playin'. Like, like we useta? Go out with a couple'a gals and I'd flirt with 'em just to work you up, 'member? Get you all hot an' bothered and jealous until you were 'bout ready t'take your belt to me right there in the dance hall." Bucky shivered, smiling like a cat in the cream at the memory.

"I remember," Steve said. "But it wasn't all play for me, even then. And a lot of stuff's happened to both of us since then. I don't want to ever hit you or hurt you out of anger or jealousy again, no matter how mad I get."

"Okay, I got it," Bucky said, and his tone was even, but his shoulders hunched, just a little. "You... You could use the safewords, too, y'know. Like a code. If I'm oversteppin'."

Steve dug in his pocket for his keys. "Sure, that'd be a _great_ way to out ourselves to the team, using the safeword system that literally _everyone_ knows."

"Works in our favor, though," Bucky said, shucking his jacket and toeing off his shoes at the same time. "That everyone knows it. They don't have to know what _kind_ of safeword it is. Just tell 'em it's... behavioral conditioning or something, that Dr. Tranh suggested." He grinned at Steve. "Not even that much of a lie. Even you could probably get it out with a straight face."

Steve rolled his eyes, but it wasn't the worst idea, actually.

Even if it was a terrible idea -- Bucky was trying to help. Not just acknowledging that he'd crossed a line, but working to try to prevent it in the future. He was -- what was the phrase Dr. Tranh kept throwing at them? -- _taking ownership_ of his part in their relationship. Proving that he understood that his responsibilities went deeper than merely following Steve's orders.

That, Steve decided, deserved a reward.

"Well," Bucky was saying, hamming it up, " _Tasha_ would know you were lying, but she already knows about us, so that's okay."

"I'll think about it," Steve promised, and then stopped Bucky from further smartassery by wrapping a hand around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. Bucky pushed into it, his body fitting against Steve's and his mouth opening at the first flicker of Steve's tongue at his lips.

They were both breathing heavily when Steve pulled away. He smiled and kissed Bucky's mouth again, quick and easy, and kept hold of his neck. "I want you to go straight to the bedroom, strip, and kneel," Steve said, his eyes on Bucky's.

Bucky drew a short, hard breath, but the muscles in his neck relaxed under Steve's fingers. "Yes, sir."

As soon as Steve dropped his hand, Bucky walked away. Steve waited until he saw the bedroom light turn on, and then followed more slowly, thinking and planning, but not giving Bucky time to catch up. He wanted to keep Bucky just a little off-balance.

Bucky was still half-dressed when Steve came into the bedroom, and he looked up in surprise. "I. I, I'm, I didn't--"

Steve caught Bucky's jaw and kissed him lightly. "You're not in trouble for not being done," he said mildly. "I didn't put a time limit on it."

Bucky's eyes closed for a quick count of three, then he nodded and resumed undressing. Steve sat on the edge of the bed and watched, pretending dispassion that he was pretty sure both of them knew was a lie.

As soon as Bucky's knees hit the floor, Steve stood up again, pacing around him in a lazy circle. "Hands behind your back." Steve stopped behind Bucky, eying the grasp he had on his wrists. "Tell me who you belong to," Steve ordered.

"You," Bucky said quickly.

"Again."

"You," Bucky said. "I'm yours, Steve. Always."

"Say it again." Steve slipped his fingers into Bucky's hair and closed them into a fist.

Bucky's fingers twitched, but he didn't release his wrists. "I belong to you."

"That's right," Steve said, and tipped Bucky's head back, being careful to keep his body upright. "So then tell me: why were you offering yourself to Clint?"

Bucky stared up at Steve, mouth opening and closing several times before he finally shook his head, just a fraction. "I wasn't, I mean, I wouldn't-- I'm... sorry," he finally whispered. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Damn right," Steve agreed. "I know you were just playing, that you wouldn't have actually done anything. I trust you. But you _were_ trying to push my buttons. Trying to earn yourself some punishment. Weren't you?" Bucky nodded, as much as Steve's grip on his hair would allow. Steve smiled, just a little. "Congratulations, you succeeded. Since you were such a brat, you do not get to come tonight. You do not even get to _ask_."

Bucky pulled in a shivering breath, but his eyes were wide and steady on Steve's. "Yes, sir."

"Good boy." Steve bent down to kiss him, lingering to lick at the pout of Bucky's lips before releasing his hair and walking back to the bed and sitting on the edge. "Do you know what I get to do tonight?" he asked.

Bucky licked his lips. "...Come?" he guessed.

Steve shook his head. "Broader," he said. "What do I get to do to you tonight?"

"I don't know." Bucky grimaced, frustrated. "Whatever you want."

"Yes, exactly," Steve said, letting it out low and rumbling. "I can do whatever I want with you."

Bucky froze, then nodded frantically. "Yes, _yes_. Whatever you want, anything."

"Come a little closer." Steve held out a hand until Bucky had shuffled forward enough for Steve to brush the backs of his knuckles down Bucky's face. "You're so beautiful," he said, lightly stroking over Bucky's skin, finger-coming Bucky's hair. "And you're all mine."

Bucky shivered. "Yes."

"Shh," Steve soothed, cradling Bucky's face in his hands. "You don't have to worry. I've got you. I'm going to do what I want with you, and all you have to do is what I tell you." Bucky was leaning into his touch. Steve brushed the hair back from Bucky's face. "Tell me your color."

"Green," Bucky breathed, eyes fixed on Steve's face.

"Good." Steve brushed a thumb across Bucky's cheek. "I'm going to spank you."

Bucky jerked back in shock, eyes rounding. "You-- You said you wouldn't."

Steve shook his head. "I said I wouldn't hit you in anger. It's important that you know that. You can't make me mad enough to hit you, not ever again. But that doesn't mean I won't hit you for other reasons. Because you want it, and I want it."

Bucky swallowed, still staring at Steve with big eyes. "I do want it," he whispered. "Please."

Steve leaned forward and kissed him gently. "Stand up, and put your arms down on the bed. No, like..." Steve stood to help position Bucky, one step back from the bed, bent at the waist and resting his head on folded arms.

"Not gonna put me over your knee?" Bucky wheedled.

"No," Steve said, stroking a hand down Bucky's back. "I don't want you to have anything to rub off against." He smiled at Bucky's faint whine, and ran his hand down Bucky's back again, following the elegant curve of his spine. "You look so lovely. I should fuck you like this sometime."

Bucky shuddered. "God, yes."

Warning, or no warning? Steve pulled his hand across Bucky's hip, feeling the muscles underneath twitch and jump, and decided that a warning would just wind Bucky up even tighter, which was the opposite of what Steve wanted.

He pulled back and brought his hand down on Bucky's rump in one swift motion, not the light, playful stings he'd used before but a hard slap that made Steve's palm burn.

Bucky yelped in surprise and tucked his head down into his arms. Already, his skin was pinking where Steve had struck.

Steve smoothed his hand over it, feeling the faint heat under Bucky's skin. "Still green?"

"Yes," Bucky hissed. "So green, Steve. Christ, don't stop now."

"All right," Steve said easily, and smacked the other side just as hard. Bucky made no noise this time, just rocked forward into his folded arms with a soft gasp.

Ten, Steve thought, should be enough. It wasn't a very high number, but Steve was stronger than most, and it would hopefully be enough to give Bucky the sharp sensation he was craving. Steve didn't want to test Bucky's tolerance or drive him to tears, just offer him a path out of his own head.

He swung again, and again, watching the way Bucky's back bowed and then settled, listening to his breathy gasps. "So beautiful," he murmured.

"Yes, _yes_ , more, please, please more."

Two more, and Bucky let out a whimper, but the bunched muscles between his shoulders were going soft. "You're doing so well," Steve said, and he whined again at the praise.

Steve slid his fingertips gently over the vivid skin. Bucky pushed back into the touch, and on impulse, Steve curled his fingers and raked his nails lightly over the spot. Bucky _groaned_ and shivered, pushing back even harder, wordlessly begging for more.

"Stop that," Steve said mildly. "You'll get what I give you, and no more."

Bucky shuddered and went still, his breath coming in sharp, hitching gasps.

"Oh, you're so good," Steve praised. "I love you so much."

Another two, even harder than before, and slightly lower, just clipping the crease between ass and thigh. Bucky keened into his arms, his hips rocking in futile search for friction for his cock. Steve wondered idly if Bucky could come like this, from sharp bursts of stinging pain and aching heat, from the drag of Steve's fingers across tender flesh.

He imagined Bucky like this, vibrating between the heat of pain and the ache of pleasure, helpless and desperate, sobbing with need, each stroke simultaneously a relief and a torment until it all boiled over in frantic climax... Steve sucked in a breath against the curl of heat that unfurled in his groin at the thought.

That was definitely something to think about later.

"So good," Steve said. He dragged his fingernails lightly over Bucky's ass and thighs, shivering at the whine it dragged from Bucky's throat. "You're doing so well," he promised. "Two more, sweetheart, just two more. Can you do that?"

Bucky was panting into the bedsheets, but he nodded, so Steve let loose with the last set, the hardest of all. Bucky outright howled with each.

Steve dropped to his knees and pressed kisses to Bucky's skin, the red now so dark it was nearly purple, and searing hot. Each soft touch made Bucky twitch and whimper, and those sounds were addictive. Steve kissed and licked as gently as he could, tasting that heated skin and whispering praise -- how beautiful, how good -- until Bucky's gasping sobs subsided.

He stood up and patted Bucky's shoulder gently. "Come on, sweetheart, up on the bed. Lay down for me."

Bucky obeyed with easy lassitude, letting Steve help him up onto the bed, laying on his stomach. "You were so good for me," Steve said, stroking Bucky's hair out of his face. His eyes were closed, tears clinging to his lashes and making them seem longer and darker. "So perfect. I'm going to get some lotion and a drink for you; will you be okay here for a minute?" Bucky nodded without opening his eyes. "I'll be quick," Steve promised.

He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and found some sweetly-scented hand lotion in the bathroom.

When Steve returned to the bedroom, Bucky hadn't moved from his comfortable sprawl; he looked relaxed and boneless, his breathing slow and steady.

"You asleep, Buck?"

"Mm-mm." Bucky opened his eyes to look at Steve. His pupils were still blown, and the smile that curved his lips was so sweet and happy it took Steve's breath away.

"God, you're gorgeous," Steve said. He sat on the side of the bed, near Bucky's hip, and leaned in to kiss the corner of Bucky's mouth. He uncapped the water and nudged Bucky's arm. "Prop up and have a drink."

Bucky pushed up onto his left elbow and took the bottle with his right, draining it in three long pulls before dropping it and flopping back down onto the bed.

Steve grinned and reached for the lotion.

Bucky squeaked at the first cold touch, then squirmed and whimpered as Steve started rubbing it in. "Too hard?" Steve asked, but Bucky shook his head quickly.

"Feels good," he said, slurring drowsily. "Aches an' stings. 'S perfect."

"All right." Steve finished rubbing in the lotion. He wasn't sure how necessary it was -- Bucky's serum was almost as good as Steve's at healing, and the redness would be gone in an hour or two -- but it was calming and soothing.

Well, it was calming for Steve, anyway. Bucky looked like he was already about as calm as he could get.

Steve wondered what it was like to just let go like that, to fall and trust someone to catch you, to hand over all your worries and frustrations and desires and needs, to trust them to take care of it all. Steve's chest ached for a moment with something like longing before he pushed it away again. He was proud to be that person for Bucky, and that was enough.

He put the lotion away and stripped off his clothes, then somehow got Bucky to shift enough to free the blankets. Steve slid into the bed and pulled the blankets up over both of them.

Bucky rolled onto his side and tucked himself into Steve's warmth, starting to shiver a little as he came down from the high. "Love you," he mumbled into Steve's chest.

Steve kissed the top of Bucky's head and held him close. "Love you, too."

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr at [everyworldneedslove](http://everyworldneedslove.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
